1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward the field of medical informatics, and more particularly toward displaying information regarding medical examinations on a timeline.
2. Art Background
Radiology equipment (e.g., CT scanners, MRI scanners, X-Ray etc.) is in wide spread use as diagnostic tools in hospitals today. Traditionally, radiology departments utilize equipment, such as X-Ray machines, that generate images on film. Typically, when collecting information from a diagnostic tool, several medical images are generated for subsequent analysis and diagnosis of the patient's medical condition. This collection of medical images may be referred to as an examination or “exam.” For example, an exam from an X-Ray machine may consist of a number of X-Rays taken from different perspectives of the target area. It is the totality of the exam that the physician uses to make a diagnosis of the patient.
It has become more common in the medical field for images to be stored, distributed, and viewed in digital form using computer technology. Currently, Picture Archival and Communication Systems or PACS have been in widespread use. In a typical PACS application, image data obtained by imaging equipment such as CT scanners or MRI scanners are stored in the form of computer data files. The size of a data file for an image varies depending on the size and resolution of the image. For example, a typical image file for a diagnostic-quality chest X-ray is on the order of 10 megabytes (MB). The image data files are usually formatted in a “standard” or widely accepted format. In the medical field, one widely used image format is known as DICOM. The DICOM image data files are distributed over computer networks to specialized viewing stations capable of converting the image data to high-resolution images on a CRT display.
The present invention enhances the ability to work with a medical informatics system by providing an efficient means to view exams for a patient.